Bryant Athletic Association coach, Stephen Kincaid, has been named the Coach of the Week by Weplay.com.
Kincaid, who also serves as the webmaster for the BAA website, said, “Weplay.com has provided a free new component of the BAA website where, for fall baseball and fall football, we have partially integrated WePlay into our online offering. WePlay really provides us the ability to offer a great social networking site to allow not only parents and coaches to stay informed and connected, but players as well since it has a robust online child protection layer.
“So far, it appears to have very positive review with most of the parents and teams, as they can set up their own groups to stay connected and link it to the Bryant Baseball league's group.”[more]
Kincaid, wrote Candice Coots of Weplay.com, “stands out as a dedicated and passionate coach who believes in teaching the fundamentals and helping his athletes acquire an appreciation and love for the game.”
Coots continued, “Kincaid grew up playing baseball, football and basketball; but had the privilege of continuing to excel in his chosen sport, baseball, at Hendrix College. He is now the father of three children, Andrew (12), Chase (10) and Cayla (5). While they spend most of their time on the baseball fields, they also participate in soccer, golf and gymnastics.
“Kincaid wrote that his youth coaching career began seven years ago, ‘Like many coaches I like to win, but I got involved to ensure all kids were treated fairly and learned the proper fundamentals in order to have enough success to gain an appreciation, or rather love of the sport, as well as encourage them just to go to the next level.
“’I have always felt if a kid loved the game enough, and was successful enough, they might just play long enough to have a chance at a college scholarship,’ he continued.
“After years of coaching players of all levels (T-Ball through 12-year-olds) in the Bryant Baseball Association, Coach Kincaid has a clear coaching philosophy. For him, practice is key, but keeping it fun and ensuring that players get to try out new positions is crucial. He described his philosophy:
"’The more you can work in fun and competitive short duration drills, the less likely the players will get bored. It is very rare that I have an old school practice where one kid hits while the others shag balls. I plan every practice to the minute and communicate to the parents what my coaching staff and I are trying to accomplish. I also allow every kid to go through each station without regard to his primary position. If they want to get better at a position they rarely play, they always ask for extra practice at it. Once they have success in practice I try to put them quickly into a game situation where they can have the best chance at being successful.’
“Coach Kincaid currently serves at the Chief Information Officer for the Bryant Athletic Association (Bryant Baseball), and has been working hard to better the program for the youth in his community. His specific challenge has been streamlining communication within the organization. He was especially excited about the potential of Weplay for his League.
"’Weplay has only been partially integrated within our league, but it will be rolled out fully in the spring of 2010,’ he said. ‘It has really assisted me in communication and providing visual aids/ drills to supplement my coaching lessons. Despite how well we do with the kids, failure to effectively communicate with the parents can negate all of the great work put into coaching the kids. I look forward to Weplay solving this aspect as we try to communicate to over 1400 parents each season. Thanks Weplay!’"
“Thanks, Coach Kincaid, for being a standout coach and for giving back to your community!
“Weplay.com (http://www.weplay.com/) is the ultimate destination for the youth sports community. Its mission is to enable and enhance the joy of sports for kids, families, coaches and fans both online and on the field. On Weplay, parents, coaches and kids can set up team sites, create profiles, view comprehensive libraries of Skills and Drills, get answers to their questions and connect to the larger sports community. Weplay.com’s partners include CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency; Major League Baseball Advanced Media; FirstMark Capital; and iconic athletes Derek Jeter, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Tony Parker, Shaun Alexander, Ryan Howard, Jennie Finch, Brandi Chastain, Summer Sanders and Sheryl Swoopes.”
